BASS: Reduction of Prehospital Delays in Stroke and Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA)
Study Details
Study Description
Brief Summary
In patients with acute stroke, systemic thrombolysis needs to be administered within three hours of symptom onset. The aim of the present study was to reduce prehospital delays in a population-based intervention.The intervention consisted of an educational letter indicating stroke symptoms and emphasizing the importance of calling the emergency medical services (EMS). The investigators additionally included a bookmark and sticker with the EMS telephone number. A total of 75,720 inhabitants received the intervention. Between 2004 and 2005, 741 patients with cerebrovascular events were admitted from the control areas (n=24) and 647 from the intervention areas (n=24).
| Condition or Disease | Intervention/Treatment | Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
N/A |
Detailed Description
Background and Purpose:
In patients with acute stroke, systemic thrombolysis needs to be administered within three hours of symptom onset. The aim of the present study was to reduce prehospital delays in a population-based intervention.
Methods:
We performed a cluster-randomized trial with 48 zip code areas as cluster units in the catchment area of three inner-city hospitals in Berlin. The primary endpoint was time between symptom onset and hospital admission. The intervention consisted of an educational letter indicating stroke symptoms and emphasizing the importance of calling the emergency medical services (EMS). We additionally included a bookmark and sticker with the EMS telephone number. We fitted a lognormal survival regression model (time-to-admission) with frailty terms shared by inhabitants of the same zip code area.
Study Design
Arms and Interventions
| Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
|---|---|
| Active Comparator: Intervention group Educational letter indicating stroke symptoms and emphasizing the importance of calling the emergency medical services (EMS) as well as a bookmark and sticker with the EMS telephone number. |
Behavioral: educational material
Educational letter indicating stroke symptoms and emphasizing the importance of calling the emergency medical services (EMS) as well as a bookmark and sticker with the EMS telephone number.
|
| No Intervention: Control group No intervention was performed |
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
- Time between symptom onset and hospital admission [Admission to hospital]
Secondary Outcome Measures
- Proportion of patients with thrombolysis [hospital stay]
- Mortality [hospital stay]
Eligibility Criteria
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- All patients with stroke or transient ischaemic attacks from the postal code areas of the study being admitted to one of the participating hospitals
Exclusion Criteria:
- Patients with stroke or transient ischaemic attacks from outside the postal code areas of the study
Contacts and Locations
Locations
| Site | City | State | Country | Postal Code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics | Berlin | Germany | 10098 |
Sponsors and Collaborators
- Charite University, Berlin, Germany
- German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Stefan N Willich, MD, Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics
Study Documents (Full-Text)
None provided.More Information
Publications
None provided.- Project Z1b